Harper checked the group chat from earlier. Nic liked the message to show she'd be coming, and as always she was late.
Her stomach was in knots, as she debated asking Alice if Nic was for sure coming. Was she usually this late? She could swear Nic isn't this late usually...
"Ugh look what the tide washed up," Stella dramatically wretched.
Nic strode into the backyard, wearing a cropped tank top with her hair down. She settled in the empty seat across the fire from Harper.
Stella asked, "So how was the family trip?"
"A trip and a half," Nic groaned with a smile on her face. She chuckled, "I'm going to need to sleep for a week to recover."
"So how about a beach trip with all of us?" Alice slipped into the conversation, looking around at everyone for their moral support.
Harper watched Nic look around the group. Even though it was dark and the only sources of light were the hanging lights above the patio and the fire, Harper could swear she noticed the slight blush of sunburn on Nics face.
Nic had a small smile as she looked at the group, she clearly approved of the idea with the scheming look in her eyes. She leaned back and shrugged, "Sure. Sounds fun."
The beach trip idea was now a plan.
Harper's stomach did backflips. She watched the others begin to scheme and think of specifics.
The beach trip with just her new friends, was now a plan.
Her and Nic.
And everyone else.
Her gaze went back to Nic who also watched everyone begin to discuss in hushed thoughts to the person next to them.
Nics gaze met Harpers.
Harper looked away. Her body hollowed. She wanted to talk to Nic. There was nothing she wanted to say, she just wanted to talk to her. One on one, just like that night on the playground.
She had no topics in mind. Why would she talk to her with nothing to talk about? What a stupid thing to do. Why would she waste Nics time like that?
"Okay," Alice said rather firmly.
Harpers distracted but now completely focused eyes went right to her.
She smiled and laughed, "you guys all look so scared. Am I really that scary?"
"We just thought you had something important to say for once," Jay thought out loud, earning a slap to the arm by Evan.
Harper couldn't help but smile a bit, watching Alice recoil in shock.
"Damn," Nic chuckled. Harper watched her silently laugh, keeping her eyes on Alice.
Alice disappeared into the house.
She came back out with supplies for s'mores and the whole group erupted in childlike excitement.
Alice handed Harper a stick as she got up to grab supplies.
Evan and Jay were already holding their marshmallows over the fire. Stella held hers carefully close to the fire, so she didn't burn it.
Harper watched Nic sit there, watching everyone make theirs first.
She put her marshmallow on her stick and put hers over the fire with Alice.
"I make the perfect golden marshmallows," Alice boasted, waving hers through the fire.
"You look like a pro," she chuckled back, taking hers out to check it. She repeated that process of putting it over and checking it until she was satisfied with her result.
She put it all together and settled in the empty seat next to Nic, who was watching the whole thing.
Was Nic not going to make one?
She was oddly quiet. It was unusual. Harper was usually the quiet observant one. Was something on her mind?
She looked lost in thought. Harper asked her, "you're not gonna make one?"
Nics answer came quick, "I will. In a little."
"Okay," Harper replied, biting into her s'more.
Something had to be on Nics mind. Harper wanted to ask her, but she wasn't sure how. The last time they were alone together they hardly talked. Nic only looked at her once.
Nic didn't get up to make herself a s'more, she just observed the group. She looked elsewhere. A look that said 'I'm working on the novel'.
What would Harper say? What would Nic say? Harper didn't even know why she felt this way.
Nic isn't some crazy all knowing being, she's just a girl. A girl Harper can't get out of her head. A friend.
It was ridiculous, wanting to spend this much time getting closer to her just for them both to go right back to school after this summer and forget each other again, yet Harper didn't care.
She just wanted to talk to her.
She wanted to hang out with her after work, bake cookies with her and make icecream sandwiches out of them, she wanted to go on late night drives and get shown all the cool places in town.
But she didn't know why she wanted it with Nic so bad.
———-
Sorry I made you read the same course of action twice lol
To be fair i did warn you and they came out at the same time.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed there is more to come (obviously) but idk when HOPEFULLY SOON if I don't forget or lose motivation
YOU ARE READING
We Grew Back Together
RomanceRather than going back to the home Harper knew for the summer after her first year at college, she had moved during the school year. After having to adjust to college she's forced to adjust to a new town and hopefully make some new friends. Nic was...
